When most people find out they have to sit through a PowerPoint presentation, they want to head for the nearest escape hatch. The reason for this is that so many presentations are simply too boring for words. By the time the event over, most of the attendees look like they'll need a defibrillator to recover. Use these PowerPoint presentation tips to keep from boring your participants to pieces.

Make eye contact. If you simply read from your slides, you'll send your audience on a one way trip to la-la land. Keep your head raised, scan the room and maintain eye contact with the participants. Don't focus on any one person, staring is intimidating and can make people uncomfortable. Also, don't turn your back to the audience for more than a few seconds at a time. If you need to read from your slides, do it quickly and turn back to face your participants.

Use visual effects. PowerPoint slides filled with endless rows of text can get bland. Use pictures and animations wherever possible. This helps liven up the slides and leaves your audience anxious to see what's next.

Liven it up. Insert a little personality into your presentation. Use humor, anecdotes and various speaking styles to hold the interest of the room. Also, as you speak, interact with the audience by asking them questions.

Keep text simple. Don't try to cram everything you want to say on your slides. A big block of text will overwhelm your readers and make it difficult for them to follow along. Instead, put only your key points on the slides and expand on those thoughts. Use index cards to keep track of the expanded points you want to cover.

Practice and then practice some more. Stand in front of the mirror and practice your presentation. Experiment with body language, facial expressions and voice tones. You may feel silly, but by watching yourself, you will have an opportunity to learn your material and work out any kinks before you get in front of an audience. When you know your material, not even nervousness can throw you off your game.

There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the inspiration on your audience's faces after you've nailed your presentation. These PowerPoint presentation tips will help you deliver an presentation that's impactful, effective and memorable.

Share your experience. Do you have some tips that would help your fellow presenters? Please share them with us in the comments.